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The unconditional love between trainers and dogs is central to the story’s plot. Edgar’s faithful companion from his birth is a Sawtelle named Almondine. One of Edgar’s many tasks is the naming of the new dogs when they are born. Gar is painstakingly careful about keeping records and interviewing prospective owners before placing one of his Sawtelle pups. The dogs they raise are well-trained and carefully bred, known for their dignified disposition and the instinctive ability to predict and act upon their trainer’s command.

Edgar’s parents waited so long for a child with Edgar’s birth, their life seems perfect and complete. The Sawtelle dogs are a mythical breed handed down through generations of the family to the time when the story begins.Įdgar Sawtelle, who was born mute and speaks by sign language, lives with his parents, Gar and Trudy Sawtelle, on a breeding farm in 1970’s northern Wisconsin. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a tale of love, courage and dedication, a character study where some of the characters are dogs. Acknowledging that the author took over ten years to write this phenomenal novel is not surprising. I often think of an idea that would make a good story, but (alas) you don’t see my name on the bestseller list, or even published. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle came about because some time ago I wished I could read a novel about a boy and his dog…” Oh, that it would be so seemingly effortless for all of us to write stories as amazing, mystifying, magnificent and thoughtful as Wroblewski’s. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.ĭavid Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes—the elemental north woods, the sweep of seasons, an iconic American barn, a fateful vision rendered in the falling rain—create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic.Book review: David Wroblewski's *The Story of Edgar Sawtelle*ĭavid Wroblewski says, “ We write the stories we wish we could read…. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires—spectacularly. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm—and into Edgar's mother's affections. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin.